Furniture



June 6, 1944. D. M. POPE 2,350,956

FURNITURE Filed Oct. 27, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheetl J W'Q MEpe 3' -29 I l/ Ill! W ii Hi 5/ I? I 34A I /34Z 1/66 33 6 flflZZ/]? JQ -Q/M/ Q Jung 6, 1944. POPE 7 2,350,956

I FfiRNITuRE v Filed Oct. 27, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fm 5m Patented June 6, 1944 FIQJRNITURE 1 David M. Pope, Streator, Ill., assignorto Streator Mfg. 00., Streator, 111., a corporation of Illinois j ApplicationOctober 27, 1942, Serial No. 463.485

8 Claims. (01. -237) This invention relates generally to furniture and in particular to. an article of furniture of a construction for yieldably supporting a person thereon.

Furniture such as chairs, cots, beds. and the,

like for yieldably supporting a person thereon, namely, yieldable to the weight of a person .to resiliently support him, are well known in the prior art. This type of furnitureis generally constructed inlarge part of metal, with the yielding or resilient structure comprising metal springs, fiat frame steel members, or spring arms supported at one end with the other end free to bend down whena weight or force is applied thereon. Although these prior art structures are generally satisfactory their substantially all metal construction makes them relatively expensive. Further they are usually of a permanent assembly so as to prevent their being collapsed into a compact package for carrying to the place where they are to be used.

It is an object of this invention, therefore,- to provide an improved article of furniture for yieldably supporting a person thereon.

A further object of this invention is to provide yieldable furniture such as a chair, cot, bed or the like which does not require any metal in the general construction thereof but which has'all of the normal resiliency of metal spring furniture. Another object of this invention is to provide furniture of a non-metal construction adapted to yieldably support a person thereon, which is of a sturdy and compact'design, inexpensivein cost, restful and comfortable in use, and which readily fits itself to the contour of the user.

A feature of this invention is found in the provision of an article of furniture having afabric portion extended between oppositely disposed side portions of the article for yieldably supporting a person thereon, in which wooden spring members are bowed between the side portions to extend the fabric portion and yieldably retain ;'the side portions in an assembly relation. On support of a person on the fabric portion, the same is yieldably depressed against the spring I pressure of the wooden members acting against the side portions.

Still another feature of this invention is found in the provision of a non-metal article of furni-.-

turefor yieldably'supporting a, person thereon,

which is of a collapsible type-and has main and auxiliary'wooden spring members, for retaining thearticle in a supportediposition, adapted to be manually' sprung between rigidly constructed sideportions of the.article to reduce the'ass'embly costs thereof.

Another feature of this invention is found in the provision of a non-metal constructed article of furniture for yieldablysupporting a person thereon, in which a fabricsupporting portion is associated in the frame structure of the article with wooden spring members so as to be capable of being yieldably depressed. after it has been completely extended or stretched. l I

A further feature of this invention is found in the provisionof a non-metal constructed article of furniture for yieldably supporting a'person thereon, in which rigid side portions are yieldably connected. by means including a fabric supporting portion and wooden spring means to pro- .vide for such supporting portion being yieldably depressed after it has been completely extended or stretched.

Further objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a chair constructed according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionalview of the chair in Fig. 1' showing the assembly relation of a fabric seat portion and woodenspring members with the side members thereof; v,

Fig. 3 is a view illustrated similarly to Fig. 2 showing the fabric portion and spring wooden members in changed position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen along the line 4-4 in Fig. 2 showing the construction and relative arrangement of the wooden spring members; a

Fig. 5 is atop perspective view ofacot or bed Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along theline G6 in Fig. 5.

. The invention is illustrated in the drawings as applied to a chair and a bed. It is to be understood, however, that it is notto be so limited and may be applied to any kind of furniture adapted to yieldablysupport a person thereon,

such as a rocker, an easy chair, a davenport and the like. An article of furniture, made according to this invention, includes a pair of vertical oppositely disposed side structures of a rigid construction. A fabric materiaL-such as canvas or the like, constitutes a supporting portion for the user of the furniture and is tacked or otherwise securedto corresponding portions of the side structures so as to 'bepextended therebetween when the side 'structures'are spaced. apart from front and rear legs.

- 'a' back portion l 9 for-the chair.

portion I9. The side structures ID are thus yieldably connected against collapse and retained in an assembly position by the cooperating assembly of the spring means I5 and 22 and the fabric portions I9 and I4.

Because of this yieldable connection of the side structures I any force or weight applied on a fabric portion I4 or I9 yieldably depresses the same toward a corresponding spring means I and 22 as is indicated in Fig. 3 for the fabric or seat portion I4. Since the spring means I5 is bent or bowed in a direction away from the seat porbers thus cooperate with the fabric portionto yieldably connect and retain the side structures in an assembly position while providing for a yieldable depressing of the fabric portion when a person is supported or applies a force thereon. Any twisting movement of the side structures out of an aligned assembly position is prevented :by

virtue of the fact that certain of the wooden spring members are relatively wide with the ends thereof positioned in corresponding grooves in t-he'side structures. Each-end of thesewooden spring-members thus extends over a considerable portion ofa -corresponding side structure for abutting engagement therewith so as to eliminateany tendency-of the side structures'to'pivot about "the ends of the spring members and out of a plane substantially normal to the spring members. i

Referring to the drawings there "is shown in Fig. 1 a chair having a pair of side structures It each-of which structures includes a front leg II, a combination-rear leg 'andback'support I2, and "a connecting member I-3 rigidly connected with the A piece of fabric material I 4, such as canvas or the like, is tacked or otherwisesuitably secured to the connecting members I3 and is extended between the sidestructu res It to constitute a seat portion for the chair. The inner side of each connecting member 43 is provided with a longitudinal groove I5 (Figs. '2 and 3) which is *arrangedfbelo'w the seatportion I4. Main wooden spring means I5 comprising a plurality of individual slats I'I are sprung between theside structures M and bowed or'ben t downwardly from the seat portion I'4. Each end of a slat-ll is loosely received in a corresponding groove I6, with the bowingo'f the slat members placing them under an initial tension to apply a force or pressure outwardly on the sidestructures I0 to'urge the same aparta distancefdefined-by the extension o'r stre'tching of the'fabric *seat'portion I4.

The back supporting portions I8 of the rear legs- I2 have a fabric material tacked thereto to form Each leg portion I8, rearwardly of the backp'ortion -'I9, is formed with a substantiallyvertical groove '2 I to receive therein main wooden spring means-22 which is of a construction similar'to the'spring means I5. The spring means 22 is :bowed'outwardly from the back portion I 9. It is seen, therefore, that the spring means 22 is arranged in a plane substantially normal tothe spring means, I5. and above -the-level of the seatportion I 4. Thus the action of the-wooden springs I 5 to move the back suppbrting portionslfl inwardly toward each other is =counteracted-by' the action of the wooden springs 2z urging the-corresp'ondingomo'site pairs of legs- II and I2 toward each-other. These actionsof' the spring means I5 :and $22; to :spread the .side

' structures I U- apart from each other is. limited by the extens'ion or stre'tching-1-to a'ataut :position of tlie fabrlio seat portion I 4.. and the fabric back 151 of the weight supported on the seat portion I4,

tion I4 the application of a weight on the seat portion tends to further bend the spring means I5 .awayfrom the seat portion. Thus, regardless a clearance will always be maintained between the sea-t portion and the spring means I5 so that atnotime does the seat portion engage the spring means. As a result the seat portion is yieldably depressed to resiliently support any weight carried 'thereon. 'Iheoperation of thespring means 22 and back portion I9 is similar in all respects to the operation of the seat portion I4 and the'spring means I5 so that a further description thereof vis believed to be unnecessary. It is apparent, of l course,;that the depressing of the'seat portion I4 downwardly and of the back portion I9 t-rear- 'wardly tends to move the side structures Illaway from :eachother at the bottom. j However, the tensionof the spring means I5 Iand'ZZ is such as to limit this movement to a minimum without impairing theyieldable function of the seat portion I4 and back portion I9.

I :As explained abovethe main spring means I5 and 22- are each comprised of individual slat members. This construction of the, spring means, although providing for the resilience or yieldability of the portions I4 and I9, does not entirely prevent twisting of the chairf-rame resulting from a rocking of the chair from side to ,side, or .on its back legs, or from the application of a force on the chair in any direction tending to move the side structures out-of their normal oppositely disposedand aligned relation. In order to maintain the normal assembly relation of the .side structures III, regardless of the torsional forcesapplied on the chair tending towtwist the same, thereis provided .an auxiliary or 'supplementary wooden spring means .23 and 24 corresponding to reach of the main spring means I5 and 22, respectively. .Each auxiliar spring means "23 and2'4 is ofalike construction andsimilarly assembled with a corresponding main spring means. Only the auxiliary spring means 23, therefore, will'befdescr'ibed in detail.

, The auxiliary'spring'means 23 '(Figsfi2 and3.) V isformed of a single panel eoextensivein width "with "the main spring I5 and located adjacent thereto withitsiends' positioned inthe grooves I 6.

'A separate groove may be provided in the connectinggmembersl 3"to're'ce'ive the, auxiliary spring 'means'23, but this would necessitate an additional machining operation, and in turn an increase in the cost of the chair. The single panel comprising the auxiliaryspring means 2'3 issom'ewhat longer than the slats I1 comprising the main V spring means I5 so that on a bowing-thereoffbegreater than thebend in the members I1.

tweenfthe side-structures I0, thebend 'tlierein is V The auxiliary spring means "23 is thus o'f a c'orrespending co'ntour with the .main spring mea-ns -.I5;; but:-is spaced therefrom overitsbo'wedq ortion as: isiclearly. indicated in Figs. 2 :and :3. By wirtue of the one piecerconstruction of the spring 'tion from front to back of the chair.

sembled by the user thereof.

connecting member 29. A fabric portion 3| is means 23, wide engaging surfaces are provided at the ends thereof for abutting engagement with the side structures I over substantially the complete length of 'the'grooves IS in the connecting members |3. These wide engaging surfaces eliminate any tendency of the side structures ID to pivot about the ends of the auxiliary spring means 23 and out of a'plane substantially normal to the spring means 23. As a resultof this function of the spring means the side structures are retained against any relative movement in a direc- Since the auxiliary spring means 24 is in a plane substantially normal to the spring means 23, it acts to prevent any relative movement of the side structures in an up and down direction. The spring means 23 and 24 thus'cooperate to retain the side structures in their oppositely disposed assembly relation against any twisting forces-which might be applied thereon.

Although the auxiliary spring means 23 and function to. prevent any torsional strains or twisting action between the component parts of the chair they also act to reinforce the main springs l and 22, respectively, to extend the canvas supporting portions l4 and I9,- respectively. This doubleaction provides greater flexibility or yieldability over an entire range of forces than can be accomplished by the use of a single spring means capable of counteracting the strongest force applied on the canvas portions and tending to depressthe same. In one embodiment of-the invention the wooden slats comprising the main spring means [5 and 22 are about 1 g" thick and 1 wide, with a corresponding auxiliary spring means 23 and 24 having a thickness of about 3 and a width substantially coextensive in length with the grooves I6 in the connecting members I3. It is to be understood that both the main and auxiliary spring means may be of a laminated construction, with the assembled laminations having the same dimensions as the single pieces above explained. Thesedimensions, of course, are variable with various types of chairs, with lighter or fewer springs being used for an ordinary chair as compared to a lounging chair or the like. Because of the relatively small thicknesses of the main and auxiliary spring means and their free insertion Within the grooves in the side structures l0 they may be manually bowed and assembled relative to the side structures It! whereby to eliminate the use ofiany machines in the assembly of the chair and in turn reduce its overall cost. Further the manual assembly provides for the chairs being shipped and sold directly as a collapsible kit orunit which can be easily as- As mentioned above a single spring means may be used in place of each combination of main spring means and-auxiliary spring means described. The single spring means would comprise a panel member similar in all respects to a panel member forming the auxiliary spring members 23 and 24, but having athickness equal sub-/ tions of both a main spring-means and a correspondingauxiliary spring means.

The application of the invention to a cotor bedis shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Thecotincludes a pair of side structures 26 comprising head and foot portions 21- and' 28 rigidly connected to -a a direction longitudinally of the cot.

7 To counteract the outward pressure attached to the connecting members 29 and extends between the head and leg pieces 21 and 28 and between the side structures 26 to form a support for the user of the cot. The spring construction comprises a main spring means 32 including a, plurality of slats 33 bowed downwardly from the canvas portion 3| and arranged in a spaced relation longitudinally of the connecting members 29, with the ends of these slat members being freely receivable in a corresponding longitudinal groove 34 formed in the connecting members 29. Since most of the weight on a cot is supported toward the head thereof the slats 33 may be more concentrated at the middle and head portions thereof. An auxiliary spring means 36 is comprised of a pair of pane1 members 3?, one near the head and one near the foot of the cot, which cooperate to prevent any twisting movement of the side structures 26 in There is not as great a tendency in the side structures 26 being moved longitudinally relative to each other, as contrasted to the side structures Ill of the chair in Fig. 1, so that a single panel having a width equal to the length of the bed is not necessary. The auxiliary spring means is also bent downwardly from the fabric portion 3| with the bow therein spaced from the bowed portion in the main spring means 32, it being understood that the ends of the panels 31 are carried in the grooves 34.

of the spring means 32 and auxiliary spring means 36 to extend the fabric portion 3| and to move the oppositely corresponding upper portions 38 and 39 of the head and foot pieces 21 and 28, respectively, toward each other, there is providedend springs 40 and 4| at the head and foot of the bed, respectively. The opposite foot portions 39 and head portions 38 are each provided with a In one embodiment of the in- A" thick by 10" wide, and may be constructed of either a single panel or a'laminated construction of like overall dimensions. As shown in Fig. 5 the springs 40 and 4| are sprung between the side structures 29 with each thereof being bowed outwardly from a corresponding end of the bed. The action of the main spring means 32 and auxiliary spring means 36 is believed to be entirely clear from the description of'the action of the main and auxiliary spring combinations in the chair of Fig. 1. The side structures 26 are thus completely yieldably connected together to provide for a desired yieldability of the canvas portion 3| when the bed is used. Thus on a depressing of the canvas portion 3| the springs permit, a yieldable moving of the side structures 26 away from each other at the bottom, with this movement being restricted within desired limits by the construction of the springs.

From a consideration of the above description, therefore, it is seen that the invention provides anarticle of furniture for yieldably supporting a person thereon,.in which yieldability is accomplished by the cooperative assembly of wooden spring members removably connected, in the assembly of the furniture, to yieldably retain the side structures thereof against collapse while providing for the yieldable depressing of afab- .ric .portion-forcarryingthe user of the furniture.

increase .the resiliencyof yieldability of the canvas: supporting portion, over ;-a wide range of forces to be applied thereon, and by virtue of their relative dimensionalsizes are adapted to becompletely manually. assembled so as to eliminate the need of machinesin the assembly operation and .reduce the overall cost of the furniture. Although the spring structures are located adjacent. to the fabric supporting portion, they are bent or bowed in a direction away therefrom so that. 'on the application of aweight ora 'force on the fabric portion, this bending .is increased in a direction .away from the fabric portion so that the springsand fabric portions are always spaced from each other. Thus at no, time .in the use of the'furnitureisthe userthereof supported directly son the wooden spring members so that the fabric portion .is com letely yieldable between predetermined design limlts. Further, since thecanvas supporting portion is con ected only to .the side structures'of the article of furniture complete yieldability :thereof is provided at both'ends of-the furniture due to the elimination of rigid connecting :members transversely of the'furniture. "with particular reference to the chair inFig. 1 it is seenthatthe fabric portion M at the front of thechair is entirely yieldable .so that the legs of the user-.yieldably depress. the fabric portion concurrently with the depressionof the remaining surface of the canvas portion. A stiff-support across the front of the chair which would prevent any yielding at this portion is thus entirely eliminated so as to increase the overalltcomfort of the chair. The side structures andspring members of the furniture are adapted to be formed from commercially available dimensioned pieces of wood material, with the machining thereon to provide for their assembly in a complete frame structure being easily and readily formed by simple machining operations.

Although the invention has been' described'with reference to several preferred embodiments thereof it is to be understood that it is not to'be so limited since modifications and alterations can be -made therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention as definedby the appended claims.

I claim: I

'1. An article of furniture including a pair of upright side structures, foldable means connected to said side structures and extended therebetween to'form a body supporting portion, means cooperating with said foldable 11163118130 yieldably retainsaid side structures in said oppositely disposed relation including flat bendable members arranged in a bowedposition between :said side structures to urge the same apart,=-andiother fiat bendable members bowed between said :side structures and having the ends thereof in abutting engagement with said side zstructures and of 1 a size to normally prevent :movement.-of.-said side structures out of .a plane. substantiall normal'to said first named members, .with :thesupport: of :a body on said supporting portion yieldabl-y depressing the sameagainst the pressure -;ex-

. ertedonsaid side structures -by;said firstnamed members. Y

.2. .An article of, furniture :havinga pair oftupwith said side structures and extended therebewe nlto. t r -a odr supp r in rti n. me for extending said foldable means to a body-supportinsro it onand c r ting with a da le mean to .yi ldab y re a sa d side st u tures a ainst col apse inc ud ng aplu t of fi t bcndablerw o enmembe s a r-r n e in a ow position between said; side structures, with at least tw s id, flatwmembers bei g in, p ne stantially normal toieach other, with one thereof below the levelof said supporting portion, and the second thereof 'iabove thelevel of said supporting portion, other bendable wooden members arranged in. a bowed position :between said side structures adjacentcsaidbqdy supporting portion, but bent downwardly therefrom, with the support of a, body on said supporting portion yieldably depressing the same against the action of all of said bowed wooden members on said side structures,

'3. An article of furniture :for yieldably supporting-a body thereon including a pair of uprightsideportions, fabric meansextended between saidside portionsfor supporting said body thereon, main wooden springmeansoftfiat form arranged in a bowed position :between said side structure, with saidlmain spring :means applying a pressure outwardly on saidside structures to extend said fabric means ;and cooperating with said fabric means .to yieldablyretain said .side structures against collapse: from :their upright positions, and

flat auxiliary. woodenspring means bowed be- .tween said'sidestnuctureawvith each end of said auxiliary spring means being relatively wide and in abutting engagement. with a corresponding side structure torprevent anytwisting of saidside structures out of a plane normal to said auxiliary spring means, with :thesupport :of a body on said fabric means yielda-bly, depressing the same against the action of said main Wooden spring means on said side. structures.

,4. A chair ,havinga pairvofrigidly constructed upright side :portions, with each side portion including a front leg andaback leg with a connecting portion therebetween, fabric means connected to said connecting portions, with each connecting portionhavinga horizontal groove therein, and each back leg having an upright groove therein-above, the level of a corresponding connecting portion, other fabric means connected to said back legs adjacent the upright grooves therein, andwooden spring members of fiat form having the en s thereof received in correspondi gr eh and-horiaontal grooves in said side portions and arranged in 1a bowed position to urge saidsideportions away from each other to extendsaid fahria means th rebetween, :with th application of a force on saidfabric means yieldablydepressing the same against thev pressure of said spring members on said side portions.

.5. VA cot having a pair of upright side portions -of:rigid construction, with each :of said side portions including a ilongitudinal member with a leg at each end thereof, fabric means attached to said longitudinal members andextended between said side portions, each longitudinal ;member having a horizontal groove ;-therein and each leg .having a .vertical groove therein at a .level above said longitudinal members, wooden spring members of flat sform haring. the nd ther o ceived in opposite corre pon in r oves in i l s nd c nnectin lp t on said Sp m mbers bein i owedp si on to ur e si portions apart andlextend said. fab c m a right. side structures,.jfoldablemeansaconnected 7 abQ y '.S lPP,Q 2 I1. l2$ 12 O },.W S i o en spring members cooperating with said fabric means to prevent the collapse of said side portions and retain the same against movement out of a plane normal to said spring members, with the support of a body on said fabric means yieldably depressing the same against the spring action of said wooden members on said side portions.

6. An article of furniture including a pair of rigidly constructed upright side portions, with each of said side portions including a pair of legs and a connecting portion therebetween, fabric means extended between said side portions at said connecting portions for supporting a body thereon, fiat wooden spring members arranged in a bowed position between said side portions and engageable therewith to urge the same apart and to extend the fabric means to a body supporting position, with certain of said wooden spring members being positioned between said connecting portions, and other of said wooden spring members being positioned above the level of said connecting portions and between corresponding opposite legs of said side portions, with said certain and other wooden spring members cooperating with said fabric means to yieldably retain said side portions against collapse, with support of a body on said fabric means yieldably depressing the same against the spring action of said wooden spring members on said side portions.

7. An article of furniture comprising a pair of upright side structures, each of said structures including a longitudinally extending member having an upright leg at each end thereof, foldable means extending between and attached to said longitudinally extending members, flat spring members having their ends respectively anchored at said longitudinally extending members, said spring members being bowed to urge said side structures apart and thus extend said foldable means to a body supporting position, and yieldable spring means connected between at least two of said legs to resist the thrust exerted by said fiat spring members on said longitudinally extending members while permitting relative movement between said structures when said foldable means is flexed by body pressure exerted thereon.

8. An article of furniture for yieldably supporting a body thereon including a pair of upright side structures respectively provided with corresponding elongated parts, foldable means extending between and connected to said elongated parts to support a body thereon, relatively narrow fiat spring members extending between said elongated parts and arranged in bowed positions to urge said side structures apart and thus extend said yieldable meansto a body supporting position, and a wide fiat auxiliary spring member extending between said elongated parts to resist relative longitudinal movement between said elongated parts, said auxiliary spring member being bowed to permit relative lateral movement between said side structures.

DAVID M. POPE. 

